Wednesday

Monday was my mom's birthday! Happy birthday, Mom!
Actually, we celebrated it with her on the proper day. Sang to her and everything. With all our usual brilliance. Good thing she loves us!

And yesterday was so gorgeous that we knocked off school right after lunch and went hiking! It was beautiful.

Ed went to see his pain specialist in Charlotte. The doctor seems not to have been aware of (or remembered) Ed's situation. He cut back on one of the things that's been working (not masking the pain at its current level, but not causing awful side effects) and prescribed something which Ed didn't recognize at the time (because the doctor called it by a different brand name) but which, when he checked, he realized he's tried before and not liked. Because it turns him into a total zombie. A mindless lump who falls asleep while holding coffee. Not that I have vivid memories of this drug or anything. However, it does seem to cut down the pain. Sigh. I just hope that that neurosurgeon's office calls soon to tell us that they've had a cancellation, and that Ed goes in and the doctor fixes him Right Away. Without paralyzing him or anything unpleasant. Maybe just looks at his records and says, "Hey! Growing spinal cord tumor? No problem! We have a pill for that!" And hands Ed a little pink pill that shrinks the tumor back to its usually bothersome size. That would be good.

And, in other news, I sent in my test and Librivox says I can read for them! I'm so excited! So now I just have to pick a chapter of some book currently in progress. I need one without many characters. Or French words. Or foreign names. But anyway, I'm looking forward to doing this!

Katie is reading The Phantom Tollbooth now (for book group), and just commented, "I love this book! I never realized words could have so many meanings!" I love it when my kids love the books I love!